Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1887-01-22
IMPROBABLE STOCK.
Kinds OF Animals Which Make No Return
for tho Capital Invested.

products are low, it Is but natural that
farmers should look about for some
thing that promises to be more remu-
nerative. Still they are in great dam
ger of engaging in enterprises that
will make no returns for the capital
and labor they require. Every few
years, since the first settlement Of the
country, attempts have been made by
enthusiasts to induce people to engage
in the production of silk. The pleas
ures and profits of silk production have
been presented in a manner calculated
to gain the attention of men, women
and children. Thousands of people in
all parts Of the country have been in
duced to plant mulberry trees, to pur-
chase the eggs of silk worms, and to
try to produce cocoons for the market
That several persons have made con-
siderable money by the sale of mulberry
trees, silk-worm eggs, fixtures for
houses in which the worms are kept
and books devoted to silk culture, is
certain. The most diligent seeker after
information, however, could not proba-
bly, find in the entire country one per-
son who has ever made any money in
producing silk to be disposed of in the
market. The truth is that the produc-
ton of raw silk is not a very profitable
industry in any country, and u, is
worthy of attention only in those parts
Of the world where The climate is par
ticularly favorable and wages are very
low.
That it is profitable to raise goats in
many parts of the world 10 certain. In
some countries their milk is preferred
to that given by cows. and it is extern
sively used for making certain kinds
of cheese. Their skins are always in
demand for making fine leather and
parchment. The flesh of young goats
is regarded as a luxury in many coun-
tries. The hair of certain kinds of
goats is valuable for making cloth and
ornaments. As there is profit in rails
ing goats in various foreign countries
where the climate, condition of the
land and productions are favorable to
them and equally unfavorablc to other
animals. several persons have declared
that they would be profitable here.
They have imported varieties of goats
that produce hair that can be made
into cloth, and have written many arti-
cles for the purpose of inducing farmers
to engage in raising the animals that
are SO useful and valuable in most ORR
entail countries. Some of these persons
have probably made money in selling
breeding stock. 1t would be very diff
cult, however, to find a person who has
derived any profit from raising goats.
1t appears to be true that there is no
a. n,nnI f,J. fhni,. mill, f.Sh and
that the price of their fleece is very Hn-
certain and fluctuating. Only a few
invalids can be induced to use goats
milk, and only persons who have i'll
herited a liking for it will eat the flesh
of even young goats.
That many persons have derived
pleasure and profit from keeping fanny
fowls is certain. They have accom-
plished great good by introducing i'm
proved breeds of hens, ducks and geese
into different parts of the country.
There is profit in the business of breed
ing fancy fowls if one has good loca-
ton and advcrtises judiciously. Money
can be made in raising hens that sell
at s. each and eggs that bring &; per
dozen. Still. very few farmers have
:
fowls. They are ordinarily obliged to
sell most of their eggs at prices paid
for those dropped by common fowls,
while the dressed birds bring no moe
if sold by the pound than those Of
mongrel stock. The practice Of
selling ducks. turkeys and chickens
by the dozen prevails in many
parts of the country, and when
this is the case there is no induccment
offered to farmers to raise fowls Of
large size or of superior quality. A
large fowl consumes more food than
small one, and if it brings no more
money than one of small size it is less
profitable for the producer. So long
as small eggs bring As much in the
market as large ones, the farmer de
rives no advantage from producing
those of superior size. Till eggs are
sold by the pound, as they are in Cali
fornia, or are sorted and sold accord
ing to their size, as they are in France.
there will be no induccmcnt for farm
ers to produce them Of very large size.
The profits of raising fast horses are
often presented to the public in terms
SO glowing that they are tempted to
engage in the business. They read of
the sale of a fast horse for sum
greater than the value of their farms.
They know that such an animal can
sumes no more food than u common
plug" that will not bring 800 in any
market. They are accordingly induced
to have their mares served by stallion
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